Poultry News

Odisha Poultry Sector Growing at Over 10 Per Cent Annually

INDIA - Odisha's poultry sector has been growing at over 10 per cent annually, state chief secretary, G.C. Pati said at the Investment Meeting in the Poultry Sector recently.

The meeting was organised by the Department of Fisheries & Animal Resources Development in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation.

Speaking at the meeting, G.C. Pati called researchers and private sector players to widen the genetic base of the poultry sector as it is vulnerable due to dependence on one breed of broiler and layer bird and stressed the need for use of local materials to counter the challenges on account of high feed costs.

Odisha is the first State to have given the status of agriculture to poultry, state minister of agriculture and fisheries & ARD Pradeep Maharathy said while inaugurating the meet.

Mr Maharathy also encouraged investors to either expand or set up new poultry units to avail themselves of the enhanced subsidy ceiling of $130,000 per case.

The state has been working on the comprehensive poultry development policy, which is under consideration, additional chief secretary, finance U.N. Behera said at the meeting.

Mr Behera also stressed the need of more commercial layer units in the state to bridge the demand-supply gap, which is at present two million eggs per day.

Adding further, he said that common infrastructure like disease diagnostic laboratory should be set up in poultry-intensive areas for the benefit of poultry farmers.

Mr Pati suggested the fisheries & ARD department set up a committee involving representatives from CARI, OUAT, farmers, breeders, etc., to prepare guidelines on biosecurity issues and to take up inspection of the farms from time to time on the disposal of environment polluting litters.

Entrepreneurs that attended the meeting requested that the subsidy reimbursement be made in various phases and the agriculture department popularise the use of poultry litter for organic farming.

The entrepreneurs also requested the state government to take up the issue of dumping of chicken legs by the US and urged the Indian government to impose anti-dumping duty as a counter measure, without which the domestic poultry sector would suffer a huge set-back.